AI and Digital Literacy for Middle Schoolers

Middle schoolers don’t need lectures. They need tools that respect their intelligence and their chaos.

AI can help teach digital literacy without sounding like a warning label. The best tools spark curiosity, not compliance.

🧠 Tools That Actually Help:

• Scratch (MIT): A visual programming platform that lets students build games, animations, and stories—while learning logic and creative problem-solving.

• Replit: A browser-based coding environment where students can experiment with real code, collaborate, and even build AI-powered apps.

• Google Interland: A gamified experience that teaches online safety, privacy, and digital citizenship through interactive quests.

• Common Sense Media’s AI Literacy Toolkit: Offers lesson plans and activities that help students understand bias, ethics, and how AI works behind the scenes.

• YouTube Channels like Code.org & TED-Ed: Great for bite-sized lessons on algorithms, ethics, and the real-world impact of tech.

These tools don’t just teach kids how to use tech. They teach them how to question it.

💬 What Students Are Saying:

The best AI tools don’t just answer questions. They ask better ones. They help students think critically, collaborate creatively, and navigate digital spaces with confidence.

🧑🏽‍💻 Brash Truth:

Digital literacy isn’t just knowing how to Google. It’s knowing how to think. AI can help—but only if we let kids question it.